30 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What size slow cooker do I need for 2 adults? ›

Slow cookers range in capacity, from a compact 1.5 litres up to 7 litres. As a general guide, a 1.5 to 2.3-litre capacity is great for two people, a larger 4 to 4.5 litres will feed four, and 5.5 to 7 litres is ideal for four to six people.

Vegetables such as peas, asparagus and peppers can become a flavorless, mushy mess in a slow cooker.

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned. However, browning meat and caramelising the beef is a great way to add depth of flavour and improve the visual appearance of the final dish.

Yes, you most certainly can cook raw meat in the slow cooker! You put it in “cold”, with whatever liquid your recipe calls for, turn it on either “low” or “high” depending on your recipe (I usually start it on “high” for a couple hours, then turn it to “low”), and in 6–7–8 hours, it's now COOKED meat!

Are slow cookers safe to leave on? Yes, it's safe to leave a slow cooker on when you leave the house. The purpose of a slow cooker is to allow you to cook while you aren't home. Slow cookers simmer food slowly, killing bacteria and raising meat to the perfect internal temperature.

The 6- or 7-quart models are among the most popular, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the best choice for everyone. (By the way, here's our favorite slow cooker brand.) Find yourself among the descriptions below to learn which slow cooker we'd recommend for you.

The size of the cooker you need depends on what you're planning to cook, as well as whether you want to make multiple meals at once (for instance, meal prepping for the week) or just single meals. For a slow cooker or crockpot, a 1.5 to 3-quart cooker should be sufficient for one person.

With heavy-duty tinfoil, you can create a makeshift, slow cooker divider that acts like a wall in your device. This tinfoil wall splits your slow cooker into two chambers where you can cook two different dishes simultaneously.

Absolutely, which is why you should always adjust times and amounts as needed. Smaller amounts of slow cooker hamburger only need a few hours before they are done.

Why are my carrots still hard in the slow cooker? ›

If you don't have enough liquid in the pot, the carrots won't cook evenly and may stay tough. Aim for at least a cup or two of liquid, enough to reach about a third of the way up on the ingredients.

Browning Is Better

And if you dredge the meat in flour before you brown it, your sauce will thicken up to make a gravy. You should always brown ground beef or any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to your slow cooker to prevent the meat from clumping up or from adding excess grease to your cooked dish.

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

Yes, you can add raw steak to a slow cooker to cook it to your desired doneness level.

So, in conclusion, slow cookers are great. They're a convenient, cost-effective, and versatile kitchen appliance that can be used to make a wide range of delicious meals with minimal effort. Whether you're cooking for your partner or entertaining guests, a slow cooker is nice to have in any kitchen.

Because of this low-and-slow method, slow cookers are great for breaking down and tenderizing large pieces of meat like pot roasts or beef stews. But that's not all they can do. Slow cookers are also a home cook's go-to choice for soups and ribs, plus dips, drinks and bread.